More from the Summer Mini

A basket of bright flowers--this says "summer"! These are the party favor boxes (pg 27, $5.95) in the summer mini catalog--which you can still order from until the end of this month. They come with the "belly bands" in tempting turquoise and rose red--you just add a tag and a little embellishment. For these, I used the flower from Petal Pizzazz (pg 102, reg catalog, $32.95) and stamped it in pumpkin pie, tempting turquoise, and rose red. I cut them all out and then punched out the centers of a few. I either layered a cut out, punched out flower on top of a whole one, so you could see the center of the bottom flower showing through, or I layered the punched circle on top of a whole flower. Added old olive leaves from the two-step bird punch and "for you" from the Great Friend stamp set on an oval for the tag. I really use that little "for you" stamp often! I filled these with chocolates and a Bible verse and gave them to the people who are taking volunteer training at the Sunrise Pregnancy Resource Center. I really need to post about the pregnancy center, but it will have to wait until another day! OK, on to another card.... This card used the elements of style stamp set (pg 12, $27.95) I experimented with the new In Colors. The card base is old olive, and the lighter green strip is pear pizzazz, as is the hummingbird. I used concord crush for the punched border piece and the stamped flowers. I distressed the edges and added a little creamy caramel ink... I know, its gone but I haven't had a chance to check out our new distressing kit yet! I also spritzed it with some vanilla shimmer smooch spritz at the end. Sorry about the shadows around all the layers, etc... I took these pictures outside where the sun would give me nice bright light, but the wind came up and I had to lay it flat to take a photo. I need a new camera! Have a great rest of the week, everyone!

Seasonal Flowers

I picked out this stamp set--A Flower for All Seasons--as one of my free Sale-a-bration sets earlier this spring. Its such a happy stamp set! You can find it on page 107 of the new catalog, $14.95. I stamped each image in staz on ink on watercolor paper, then used blender pens and watercolor wonder crayons to color each one. To finish the cards, I used a 3x3 piece of coordinating card stock and punched a hole in the center, then used dimensionals to pop it up off the card.
I used misc pieces of dsp that coordinated with the way that I colored the images. The first card uses the island oasis paper (and colors) which is in the summer mini, page 27. The next one uses wild wasabi, crushed curry, and bashful blue. The tulip card is done in certainly celery, bashful blue and almost amethyst and the Christmas card uses old olive, pretty in pink and bravo burgundy. I like how these cards coordinate into a set, by using the same layout instead of the same colors. I gave a set of these cards to my neighbor to thank her for giving me plant starts from her garden, earlier this spring.

New Catalog!

The new catalog is here! New stamp sets, some great new accessories, new patterns of designer series paper..... check it out here:

2010-2011 Catalog:

Click the catalog to download in .pdf format!

Click here to download the 2010-2011 Catalog Supplies

The new Definately Decorative catalog is here, too--with some great home decor ideas!

Definitely Decorative

Click the catalog to download in .pdf format!

Click here to download the Catalog Supplies

If you are in one of my Stampin' Six Clubs, I mailed your catalogs to you on July 1st, so hopefully you will get them SOON! If you're not in a Club, but would like your own copy of the new catalog, leave a comment to this post with your email address and I'll contact you. Get yourself a nice iced coffee and sneak off for an hour of browsing. Don't forget to make out your wish list as you go! --Shelee

Card Kits and Presto Papers

This is a photo of the previous scrap kit for members of the Stampin' Six groups. It contained card stock in colors from the new Subtles Collection--wild wasabi, pretty in pink, so saffron and baja breeze. It also included presto patterns designer paper from the summer mini catalog (pg 15, $11.95). This paper is white with a glossy design that shows up when you add ink. Also in the kit were matching ribbon, bitty buttons, and whisper white lattice die cuts made on the Big Shot. Well, I haven't done up a scrap page using the layout idea (also in the picture) but I did try a card....Remember the versamark technique, where you stamp a background in versamark and then pounce on chalks to reveal the pattern? I decided to try that technique with inks and the presto patterns paper. Not too bad, I think! The butterfly from Great Friend stamp set (pg 107, $17.95) was stamped in so saffron and cut out, and a bitty button attached with a glue dot. I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to place the greeting inside the outline AFTER I cut it out with the matchbox die and Big Shot. Finished it off with pretty in pink satin ribbon (pg 13 summer mini).
Only a few weeks left until the new catalog arrives....! Can't wait to see the new stamp sets and designer papers!

Medallion Background

I started out on this card by stamping all over an 81/2 x 11 sheet of whisper white to make my own designer paper. I inked up the medallion stamp (pg 133, $17.95 and NOT retiring!) with real red ink. After stamping it once, I would move to another area of the paper and stamp again, letting the darker and lighter images overlap. When I covered the paper with red, I inked up the medallion stamp with silver and added another layer. I didn't worry about getting a complete image every time--as you can see in the left corner of this card, the center of the medallion didn't come out. When it was dry, I started cutting it apart for cards.
This layout is obviously VERY easy! I stamped the elegant thank you (pg 144, $6.95) in basic black, and then trimmed the square so that it would fit inside the scallop square-punched black card stock. The black satin ribbon (summer mini, pg 13) finished it off nicely!

Be sure to check out the link in the left column to the $99 mini starter kit. In June, you can join the Stampin' Up! family by purchasing a smaller starter kit with new stamps and colors so you'll be ready for the new catalog in July! As a demonstrator, I receive a free monthly magazine full of stamping ideas, business ideas, and information about using our products. This is just one way that the SU! company supports its demonstrators so that we can have the type of business we want. If you'd like more information, leave a comment with your contact info and I'll get back to you. The start of a new Stampin' Up! year is a great time to join!

More Elements of Style

I made these 3x3 note cards for each member of my Stampin' Six Clubs. I used retiring colors of card stock, and inked up the image with markers. Stamp set is Elements of Style (pg 12, summer mini). As you can see, I got a completely different look, compared to the last post, by changing the colors used. Added miscellaneous buttons and brads to match. Then I mixed up some champagne mist paint (from the winter mini catalog) with rubbing alcohol and spritzed them up a bit! This is the "color catcher" (pg 15, summer mini) that you can use when spritzing projects. I started with a small mister bottle, added some rubbing alcohol and then a few drops of paint. You can add more paint to get a heavier mist of color. Do have a paper towel handy, in case you don't pay attention to where the mister is pointed, and spray your counter tops anyway! I was happy with the way the cards turned out, but definitely make sure you are using a good squirt bottle. Mine was a little "iffy" and so one pump would come out nice and fine, and the next would be more splotchy than I wanted. I hope everyone enjoyed getting a little something extra in their kits last month!

Be sure and check out the retiring products lists which are in the left of my blog. If you are reading this in your email, go to my blog page to download the lists. Stampin' Up! is already low and running out of many of the retiring colors--ink refills mostly. If you are interested in stocking up on your favorite color of ink and paper, please order sooner than later!

Elements of Style

A friend of mine had surgery and I wanted to give her a little something, but not food. I saw this kitchen towel and immediately thought the colors looked like soft sky (from back in the day!), apricot, and pink--both pretty in pink and pink pirouette. So I dug out my soft sky and some dsp that matched--I have no idea what the name of it was! And here is what I came up with:I stamped the elements of style (summer mini, page 12) in chocolate chip ink over the patterned paper. I also used the chocolate chip for the main image, but since this is a water-based ink, it was difficult to add color without smearing some brown into it. So I'd suggest staz-on ink! I used blender pens and ink pads to watercolor. It's kind of hard to see, but there is soft sky around the flowers, in the background. I still had soft sky stitched ribbon, so I pulled on the white stitching to gather or rauch it before tying it on. I was really happy with the result!
Have a great Memorial Day weekend--try to stay dry!!